In commercially known systems, as used in dip coating plant for vehicle bodies and as known for example from DE 196 41 048 C2, the securing device can be rotated about an axis of rotation which extends horizontally and perpendicular to the direction of movement. In order to dip the vehicle body to be treated in a dip bath filled with liquid paint, the vehicle body to be treated is moved with the superposition of a purely translational movement and a purely rotary movement about the horizontal axis of rotation. Here, the basic alignment of the vehicle body in relation to the direction of movement of the translational motion does not change, other than being rotated about the horizontal axis; typically, the longitudinal axis of the vehicle body always forms the same angle with the direction of movement as projected in a horizontal plane.
In another system, which is known from DE 101 03 837 B4 and is used to transport vehicle bodies in a dip treatment plant, the vehicle body may additionally be lowered or raised in a vertical movement. In this case, for the vehicle body it is possible to achieve a sequence of movements which is a superposition of a horizontal linear movement, a vertical linear movement and a rotation about the horizontal axis of rotation. In this case, the vehicle body may additionally be rotated about the horizontal axis of rotation after it has been lowered into the dip bath by the vertical movement. In this case too, the basic alignment of the vehicle body in relation to the direction of movement of the translational motion remains unchanged.
Once the vehicle body has been guided through the dip bath and removed from the transport carriage, the transport carriages of systems of this kind have to be returned to the entry of the dip treatment plant. On the return path of the transport carriage from the exit of the dip treatment plant to the entry thereof, during which it is not laden with a vehicle body, it occupies the same amount of space as it needs to pass through the dip treatment plant with the vehicle body. The overall space for the return of the transport carriages must be made correspondingly generous in size.
Moreover, in the case of commercially known objects the kinematic movement, in terms of rotary or pivotal movement of the vehicle body, is restricted to rotation or pivoting about the horizontal axis. To achieve better treatment results, in particular better coating results, it is desirable to increase the degrees of freedom of movement of the vehicle bodies in the dip bath.
The present invention is directed to resolving these and other matters.